


Dinner and a Show of Friendship

by silveradept



Category: Final Fantasy XII, Hilda (Cartoon)
Genre: Adult Frida, Adult Hilda, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Gen, Walk Into A Bar
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-02
Updated: 2020-06-02
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:34:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,609
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24513178
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/silveradept/pseuds/silveradept
Summary: Fran enters the local public house in Trolberg and has a pleasant conversation with the bartender (and her friends) about what brings her to this particular space. Fran gets food, Frida manages Hilda, and Frida gives Fran some advice about what might be wrong with the ship that caused Fran and Balthier to set down outside of Trolberg in the first place.
Relationships: Balthier & Fran (Ivalice Alliance), Fran (Final Fantasy XII) & Frida (Hilda - Cartoon), Frida & Hilda (Hilda)
Kudos: 5
Collections: A Ficathon Goes Into A Bar





	Dinner and a Show of Friendship

One of the things Fran had come to enjoy about Trolberg was the way that the Humes never looked at her as anything other than another entity in the town. The first time Balthier had landed there, hoping for both a competent airship mechanic and a place to let some of the infamy they had gained be forgotten with time, Fran had been concerned that such an out-of-the-way place would react to the presence of a Viera with fear, or worse, _curiosity_. Interesting things tended to be the subjects of gossip, and gossip traveled more than sufficiently quickly that any pursuing force would be able to find them again. For as much as they courted violence as sky pirates, neither Fran nor Balthier felt the need to allow it to linger for longer than was strictly necessary, nor to give it a wider audience than warranted.

Trolberg, on the other hand, had looked at both of them, collectively shrugged, and continued on their day. Fran had been content with such fortune as not to disturb it, but Balthier's own curiosity had informed them both that Trolberg, being as close as it was to so many different places of magic, had long since satisfied their curiosity about many things and had cautionary tales to tell their younglings about it. They were also extraordinarily careful about collecting rocks, with seemingly outsized penalties for bringing unauthorized stones inside the city walls. Fran had not yet seen one of the trolls the city was named after, but the way that their mechanics had insisted on working only in the daytime suggested to Fran that caution would be best exercised should someone be outside and without walls to protect themselves.

Recognizing that this set of repairs would take far longer than a single day, Fran had escorted their mechanic back to the city and decided to take supper before returning to the ship for the night. Balthier would appreciate the time alone to inspect the work of the mechanic to that point, and Fran would appreciate the time spent apart from Balthier. Pushing open the doorway to her chosen venue, Fran swept her eyes through to see if there were anyone who might be or become a problem while she had her meal. Satisfied that it was unlikely she would be disturbed, Fran approached the dark-skinned Hume behind the counter. She looked to be of an age where Balthier might think she was charmable. He had explained once that there was a minimum age for someone to be employed in a public house, and that most of them preferred to have young pretty women as their employees.

"Oh, hello!" she said, looking up at Fran. "My name's Frida. What can I get started for you?"

After getting a closer look at Frida, Fran also recalled, with amusement, that many of those young women were also chosen for their strength as well as their charm, after many a time where Balthier's attempts sparked conflict with others who believed his advances were more than harmless practice at keeping his wits sharp.

"Food," Fran said. "Preferably enough to bring some back for my companion."

Frida nodded. "Was there something specific you wanted? We have a full menu here," she said, depositing a sheet of possible food and drinks available in front of Fran, who glanced down at the descriptions.

"While you're deciding, is there something I can get you to drink?" Frida asked.

"Water is sufficient," Fran replied. Frida drew a glass and set it on top of a small square she had placed upon the countertop.

"I believe the people who live here are more knowledgeable about what food is worthwhile," Fran said, after looking at the menu for some time longer. "Which of these dishes would you have, Frida, for yourself?"

Frida flipped the menu open to one of the roast dishes. "This one," she said, tapping it. "Assuming that you can eat meat."

"I am capable," Fran said dryly.

"I'm sorry," Frida apologized. "Since you look vaguely rabbity, I wanted to know if you had to eat like one. You're very tall, you know, and getting a salad large enough for you might have been a bit difficult." Frida wrote down the order on a piece of paper and disappeared for a moment, before returning behind the bar. Continuing to study Fran, she tilted her head. "I don't mean to be rude, but is that supposed to be practical armor you're wearing? It seems like it wouldn't really protect anything at all."

Fran stifled a laugh. When younglings had asked questions of her, most had been so fascinated with her ears and hair that they had not considered any other aspect of her presentation.

"Much of what I wear is meant to support more than protect me," Fran said in reply, "but that does not mean it is ornamental."

"Oh, I see," Frida said immediately. "At least, I think I do. If you don't mind another personal question, you're a digitgrade walker, aren't you?"

Fran offered Frida a small smile as a reward for her deduction. "There are certain Hume customs that I can naturally take advantage of," she replied.

"May I look at your armor more closely?" Frida said. "My friends Hilda and Alfur would be very interested in the details. I'd like to send them a photograph of some of the designs on your arm guards."

Fran laid an arm on the countertop, and Frida tapped her fingers on her communicator to capture and image and send it away.

"Thank you," Frida said, and looked to continue conversation, but the food was ready, with one portion delivered upon a plate and the other portion packaged and ready to be taken to Balthier. While Fran ate, Frida busied herself with other tasks, never completely taking her eyes off of Fran in case she were to request something more, but adeptly managing the crowd so that they all stayed seated and enjoying their food and drink.

Fran had finished her portion of the meal when a blue-haired Hume slipped in and headed swiftly for the countertop, a small being clinging to the scarf she wore.

"Frida!" she said pleasantly, waving before turning to Fran. "Hello, I'm Hilda, I'm one of Frida's friends, and I have a lot of questions I would like to ask you about your armor designs. Alfur has some, too."

"Hello," Fran said guardedly. Energetic youngling Humes often ended up pulling on her hair, her ears, or trying to hang off of her armor, and while Hilda appeared to be about Frida's age, Fran was not interested in taking chances that Hilda was interested any of those things right now.

"Hilda!" Frida hissed. "You're too intense."

"Oh. Sorry," Hilda said, as the small creature regained a place on Hilda's shoulder. "I was worried you were going to disappear before I got a chance to talk to you. Also, there's some paperwork. There's always paperwork so that you can see the elves."

"No need," Fran said. "I have seen elves such as these before."

"Oh, hello, then," the elf said. "I'm Alfur. You look like the drawing I once saw of a Viera."

"That I am," Fran said.

Alfur looked thoughtful. "It's been some time since a Viera was seen around Trolberg. Or outside of the Wood itself." Alfur thought for a moment. "You're also wearing a bit more protection magic than many of the people in Trolberg."

Hilda's eyes lit up with many questions, but before any of them could get out, Frida shook her head in a no. Hilda pouted slightly, but did not say anything.

"Would you let Hilda sketch you?" Alfur asked. "It would be lovely to have another picture for the archives."

Fran shook her head. "I must be returning to my companion."

Hilda looked disappointed, but nodded. "Okay. Maybe another time, then," she said, before leaving.

"Thank you," Fran said to Frida. "I must be on my way to the airship."

"Any time," Frida said, smiling. "And tell your companion that his engine problems are because a skystone is cracked."

"And how would you know this?" Fran asked, amused.

"The Vitra in town were unhappy about some powder sprinkling near where their young are, and they claimed it came from an airship that set down nearby. It looked like skystone powder to me."

"I think my companion will be pleased to have a possible cause. He may want to come give his thanks in person. If he does, remember that while he seems to be charming, for a Hume, I would not abandon my life to follow him."

"I appreciate the advice. He'll be fighting an uphill battle, if you understand my meaning, but it's good to have warning all the same."

Fran smiled, hefted the food and left the pub.

"Clever girls, both of them," Balthier said when Fran related her story to him later that night. "I believe I've seen the blue-haired one skulking about, trying not to be seen while she observes and sketches. If you went back and asked, I suspect that between the two of them, they know most of what's going on in Trolberg at any given time."

Fran would replace "know" with "are the cause of," based on seeing Hilda and a large black dog running about the streets while she was returning to the ship, but she would allow Balthier to discover that when he inevitably decided to engage in a little mischief out of boredom waiting for the repairs to finish.

Fran suspected Frida would not mind her company while they both waited out whatever would happen.


End file.
